There a number of foot and ankle injuries that can affect a person's use of a foot or ankle (including but not limited to bone, tendon, tissue, muscle, spasms and strains, stress-related injuries, compression injuries, skin irritations, burns, bunions, toe pain, nail injuries, swelling, arch pain, amputations, congenital defects, paralysis, impaired mobility and all other known injuries which may occur to a foot or ankle.)
Crutches, walkers and other devices which rely primarily on increasing the weight placed by hands and arms to facilitate mobility can result in discomfort, physical strain and fatigue (e.g., underarm discomfort from crutches). Additionally, users may have varying levels of upper body strength. Scooters, wheelchairs, and crutches may prevent leg muscles from being properly exercised during recuperation and reduce overall movement, and cannot be used in all areas and surfaces. Additionally, such devices are costly and prone to mechanical failure and wear. Use of the above devices can negatively impact the strength of the surrounding, non-injured leg muscles, because they are not used sufficiently during the period of convalescence and may weaken or atrophy.
There exists a need in the art to provide a device that offers mobility to people suffering from lower limb, foot and ankle injuries or impairments (e.g., injuries, amputations, degenerative conditions, and birth defects) which increases mobility without the associated problems of those devices currently in use.